Extending the Punk/Bryan Feud

Sunday night at Survivor Series, the team of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan put on a solid match with the Wyatt family. It progressed nicely, showcased Harper, gave Erick Rowan a chance to wrestle, and provided a finish that left fans happy. In addition to the wrestling, the door was left open for a future match by the work between Bray and Punk/Bryan. Going forward, I think most fans would want to see this feud progress to the next PPV as it will. What’s interesting is how they’ll get this feud to TLC.

Current Momentum

The feud currently works well for all involved. Punk and Bryan are in a high-profile position while the Wyatts are being elevated by being paired with them. In addition, the styles contrast has made their matches captivating and interesting. Beyond the mutually beneficial pairing and fascinating styles clash, the Wyatts have chemistry with Punk and Bryan. Why disrupt that to put both teams in subpar feuds that haven’t been completely thought out and would largely be a waste of time? WWE needs to maintain this momentum and see where this feud could go.

What’s next

The post-match gesturing and posing by Bray Wyatt at Survivor Series teased an in-ring segment between the two faces and Bray’s singular presence, before Bray though better of it, and said something cryptic while walking away with his family. Still, Bray’s clearly not done with these two as there are unresolved issues. Monday night, Bray gave Daniel Bryan the Kane treatment carrying him off to parts unknown, while Punk got decimated by the Shield. (It’s interesting how unabashedly they’re featuring Reigns at this point.)There’s still no clear delineation who the devil was that convinced Bray to initially attack Punk and Bryan. Also, Bray isn’t done with them as he clearly stated. Some speculated that a 6-man tag match may be in the works, but who would join Punk and Bryan? After the show that these 4 put on at Survivor Series, seeing another tag match structured this way would be well-received. Harper’s sit-out powerbomb from the second rope was only one of many devastating spots that these four can create, and I’m interested in seeing what else these four can do.

Moving forward, they should continue to have Bray allude to the influence of this phantom “devil” and Sister Abigail, while continuing the “hunt” that he mentioned at Survivor Series. They already have great buy-in from the crowd and they can deepen that to extend the feud, but teasing a payoff in the form of revealing who this “devil” is. I doubt that they’d have Sister Abigail be the “devil,” but the speculation as to who the “devil” is continues to grow. Most thought it would be Triple H, which would be reminiscent of the Ministry angle where the creepy stable revealed that Vince was behind them the whole time. If Triple H was behind the Wyatt’s, naturally you’d want Stephanie to be Sister Abigail, but that idea may be a bit ambitious. Still, there needs to be a pay off to this “devil” character, instead of the lazy writing that caused them to never reveal the Anonymous Raw GM, the higher power behind Nexus, etc.

Having Bray play up the role of Sister Abigail and the influence of his “devil” while he continues to attack Punk and Bryan will deepen this already captivating feud and help it move forward. That intrigue will keep fans tuned in to see the next match at TLC. Still, it’s fun to wonder: 1. Will Sister Abigail ever be revealed to be a person or just hang as a creepy abstract concept? and 2. Who is the “devil” controlling Bray?